Container washing apparatus



July 30, 1963 R. I... BERGENDAHL CONTAINER WASHING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1961 R4 YMOND L. BEPGt'A/DAHL INVENTOR.

BYW

ATTORNEY y 1963 R. 1.. BERGENDAHL 3,099,276

CONTAINER WASHING APPARATUS Filed March 20. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A34 YMOND L BEPGENDAHL INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 30, 1963 R. BERGENDAHL CONTAINER WASHING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 20, 1961 INVENTOR. RA YMOND L BfAGENDA/JL ATTOPNLY framework 12 directly below the chamber 40. Since the chamber 40 is open at the bottom the heat will circulate freely around the tubes 56 and be exhausted through the vent stack 58.

To operate the washer, two containers 24 are placed in the rack 26 and the door 16 is closed. The washing cycle then automatically commences with a fresh water prerinse which is drained from chamber 20 through drain 43 in partition '42. The rinse "Water is directed into chamber 46 and out drain 50 by 'diverter 44. The wash cycle then commences, the wash solution being pumped into chamber 20 from the heating chamber 40 by pump 36. The solution is returned by diverter 44 to chamber 40 for reheating. The last cycle of operation is a rinse cycle with tap water, and the washing chamber 20 would therefore norm-ally be at tap water temperature upon start of another cycle. However, because of our novel arrangement with the vent stack 58 covering the sidewall 60, some of the heat exhausted by stack 58 is utilized to prewarm the apparatus for the next cycle. Thus, the atmosphere into which the wash solution is sprayed will be slightly above tap water temperature thereby requiring wash solution of a lower temperature than otherwise would be needed to clean the containers effectively.

The novel design of the solution heating chamber 40 with its maximum utilization of available heat produces a heating system for the washing apparatus that has a relatively high efiiciency thereby reducing the operating cost of the apparatus. However, it will be appreciated that the particular construction shown in the drawings and described herein is merely illustrative of my invention and that the principles thereof can be applied for other uses by revisions and variations in the illustrated structure. It is intended that such revisions and variations of the inventions as are reasonably expected on the part of those skilled in the will be included within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A container washing apparatus comprising an enclosed cabinet having sidewalls defining a washing chamber and a liquid heating chamber beneath said washing chamber, means for positioning the containers to be washed in said washing chamber, a heating compartment in said heating chamber, said compartment being open at the bottom and extending upwardly into a portion of said heating chamber with the sides of said heating compartment spaced from the sides of said heating chamber, a plurality of spaced-apart liquid passageways extending from one side to another through said heating compartment to provide increased heat exchange surface, an exhaust stack connected to a third side of said heating compartment and extending upwardly through said heating chamber and contiguous to the outside of :a sidewall of said washing chamber, means for supplying heat to said heating compartment to heat the liquid in said heating chamber, means to circulate the heated liquid from said heating chamber to said Washing chamber and to return said liquid to said heating chamber, and at least one liquid passageway extending through the portion of said exhaust stack in said heating chamber to provide, additional surface for heating the liquid in said heating chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,495 Garrett et al Sept. 22, 1925 1,690,449 Jourdan Nov. 6, 1928 1 2,066,232 Schmidt Dec. 29, 1936 2,170,730 Rodieck Aug. 22, 1939 2,414,875 Home Jan. 28, 1947 2,527,430 Kniviton Oct. 24, 1950 2,825,349 Keliher Mar. 4, 1958 2,841,136 Pettit July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 902,115 Germany Jan. 18, 1954 

